Unfortunately, I never got to cover Muhammad Ali in his prime. I did in his twilight, though. I had to reconcile what I saw with the memories of the late 1960s, when as a kid, I watched him dominate the heavyweight division, put on shows, talk up a storm, and refuse induction into the U.S. Army.
In 1979, when Ali signed to fight an eight-round exhibition in mid-July against Broncos defensive end Lyle Alzado at Mile High Stadium, I still was capable of awe.
Ali hadn’t officially fought since regaining the heavyweight title from Leon Spinks in August 1978, and he was claiming to be retired.